Demolition scheduled for former Naked Harem in El Paso’s Lower Valley

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Demolition of the former site of Naked Harem will begin next week. Demolition is expected to take four to eight months.

Naked Harem was a longtime landmark on Alameda in the Lower Valley. The club shut down more than a decade ago.

Naked Harem was operated by co-owners Phillys Woodall and Jeanette Coutta, both of whom were indicted and later convicted of aggravated promotion of prostitution and organized criminal activity.

The pair each received lengthy prison sentences and the business' property was seized by the county.

The site was going to become the home of the new Corbin Sambrano Wellness Center. El Paso County had obtained funding for environmental analysis, demolition, and design of the new center. The design was already in progress when voters struck down a proposition that would have approved construction of the center. Now, a county spokesperson says a team is looking to repurpose the site once demolition is complete.

"This has been a colossal restorative justice project, transforming a site that has been a blight on the local community in recent decades," the county spokesperson said.